Electric flat-iron.



H.P.BALL. ELECTRIC FLAT IRON.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1913.

1,132,299. l Patented Mar.16,1915.

:I4 n I8 Wltnesses'. n Inventor'.

w Henry Price Ball,

' I His ffttorneg.

q essary for the operator to either place the UNTTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY PRICE BALL, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- ELECTRIC FLAT-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

T0 all 'whom t may concern: l Be it known that I, HENRY PRICE BALL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Flat- Irons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric flat-irons and more particularly to means for controlling the supply of electric energy thereto.

Flat-irons are usually made with a pair of projecting contacts carried by the body thereof and connected with the resistance element, the contacts being adapted to receive a plug carrying circuit terminals. This plug engages the contacts with considerable friction and is therefore not readily removed or replaced. It is often desirable to cut 01T the current at the iron temporarily and as it is inconvenient and awkward to remove the plug it has been proposed as a convenient means to provide a separate circuit controller, as a snap switch, on the iron this purpose. These switches have not been wholly satisfactory, however, in that they add additional parts to the iron, get out/of order easily, and also add materially to the cost of manufacture. These switches have also been found` objectionable in that I they are not readily accessible, it being neciron on the stand and remove his hand from the handle to manipulate the switch, or to' hold the iron in one hand and manipulate the switch with the other.

By myinvention it is proposed to provide a combined plug and switch, the plug being arranged to detachably engage the flat-iron and to be oscillated into and out of position for closing the circuit.

A further object of my invention is to so 4locate the operating means for my combined` switch and plug that it may be readily operated by a single movement of the hand of the operator without removing the hand from the handle of the iron.

The invention comprises various features of novelty and combinations of parts all of `whichA will be fully explained hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a flat-iron with my improved plug `switch attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a face view of the plug switch showing the line terminals. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a face view similar to Fig. 2 but with the contacts and insulating member removed in order to illustrate certain details of structure.' Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of the elements of the switch carried by the iron. Fig. 6 is a face view showing the contact elements which are mounted on the iron and taken substantially on line 6 6, Fig. 5. i Fig. 7 is a detail section taken on line 7-7, Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing 1 indicates the base of an electrically heated flat-iron which may be of ordinary construction, and 2 the handle thereof. y being supportedby two braces 3 and 4. At-

tached to the rear brace 4 is a conduit 5 through which the contact terminals 6 and7 from'the heater element extend. These terminals are shown as flat metallic strips having their ends bent at rightangles to engage with the contact plates 8 and 9 which plates are suitably fastened to the mica insulation 10, and are exposed in position to coperate with contacts carried by the plug switch as will be described hereinafter. The contact terminals 6 and/7 are embedded in suitable insulating material as will be clear from the drawing.

11 and 12 designate wear plates which may be made of metal or insulating material and which are suitably attached to the insulation 10, as for instance, by means of screws 18.

The handle 2 is hollowed out as shown more particularly in Fig. 5, and located within this hollow portion are two parallel vstrips 14 connected at their ends as at 15.

These two strips are preferably made of one continuous piece of material reversely bent upon itself as is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

the stand 27.

which' slotsV ride the projecting lugs 18 of a threaded nut 19. is a shaft threaded at one end for engagement with the nut 19 and carrying at 1 its opposite end the` rollers 21 and 22 asY more' clearly shown in Fig. .7L Surrounding this shaft 20'is a compression spring 23 lo` cated betweenthe nut 1-91 and a fixed abutment 24. The shaft 20 projects beyond the rear of the handle and engages the 'embossed portion 25 of a .circular head 26 carried by This stand 27 is made of l spring metal and tends to force the shaft 20 to the leftas shown in Fig. 5. Located-on` the shaft 20 between the handle and the end of the shaft isa spacing sleeve 28 -which holds in place a cup-shaped member 29 having a serrated edge 30. The rollers 21 and 22 carried bythe shaft 20 are arranged to ride on this serrated edge' and .are held yieldingly in engagement therewith by spring 23 and spring stand 2f?. This cup-shaped mem ber 29 is loose on shaft 20 and carries a lug 31 for a-.purpose which will presently be del`scribed. -The plug switchl consists of a' casing 32 having spaced therefrom an inner wall Between theseftwo walls is located an irregularly shaped member 34 having an opening 35 and two recesses 36 and 3 7.- Attached'v to this lmember 34 .and passing projecting operating arm 39 the outer end of -which .is angularly bent and attached to a' guide 40 through which theelectric lead wire .41 and 42 pass. The opening 35 and slot 38 are of such a width as to'perrnit of a slight amount of lost motion on the part of larm4 39. 'A coiled spring 43 surrounds and protects thelead wiresbetween the guide and the plug.

ing the line terminals 45' and' .46 is located in the casing 32 andis heldin place by screws 47 which take into the outer wall vof the casf ing. These screwsv pass through and hold place spacing sleeves 48'for spacing the..V inner'wall 33 from the 'outer wall of the casing, the upper-central spacing sleeve being located in opening35 and adapted to be en- `gaged by the opposite edges thereof for os.-

v cillating the plug whenin place onthe iron.

` The plug is slotted as shownf.at 4 9 and is adapted to be inserted in the space between the rear-of the handle andthe member 29,

the slotted portion taking over the spacing -sleeve '28 and also the lug 3 1 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.v The plug ts tightly .in this space and will be rmly held by the ,ace

tion\of the spring`23 and spring stand 27- the same being placed under. a slight tension when the plugis inserted. Thevplug is thus -held in position on the sleeve 28 and A lug-31 simply by the friction caused by the v vspring 23Iand'spring stand-27, and the plug isjthus freely detachable therefrom.

A block-'0f insulating -'material 44 Icarry- -trated.- s

. By means of arranging the switch. plugso .that the operating movementmay be VThe operation of my improved switch plug is as follows: Assuming that .theplugis detached from the iron and it is desired to use the same, the'plug will be forced into place, theslotted portionthereof fitting over the sleeve 2-8 and lug 31. This insertion should be made with the handle ofthe plug substantially vertical and if desired suitable guides (not shown) might. be provided whereby the plug'v could only beinserted and removed when in such position., It will be vnoted that when the plug is so inserted that the contacts 45 and 46V will lie in apl'ane at right angles lto the plane of terminals 8 and -9 and in engagement with wearv pieces 12 and 13.y To bring the contacts into engagement it is therefore necessary to oscillate the plug either tothe rightl or the left. vIn order to do thisthe guide 40 is forced in either direction carrying' ith it the operating arm 39.- The operating arm having a slight amount of lost motion the 'rst movement thereof 'causes the parts to assume the position as shown in dottedA lines in Eig; 4. Further. movement of the arm will now tend to force the plug to oscillatel owing to the edge of opening 35 -in member 34 engaging with. the central spacing sleeve v48. 'The movement of the plug is vretarded however by' the fact that cup shaped member 34 to which lug 31 is attached -must also be oscillated along with the plug, and in order to oscillate this member 34jit 1s.nec Y essary to force the rollers 21 and 22 'upan inclined plane of the serrated'. edge 30. As

the rollers pass up fthe inclined edge. the,` spring23 and-springstand 27 are put under still greater tension and as soon astherollerspass beyond the top of the plane will snapithe same quicklydown the opposite incline and thereby bring the contacts into,

engagement. with a. snap action,' the lostmotion before described permitting the plug to move independently of f the .operating arm'39. To open the contacts the operation is the same only in an opposite direction.

^ It isclear that'l may so design mv switch plug and the cooperating cup-shapedv member 29 that a. movement over one serration may represent an angular movement of`90 or a movement somewhat less than 90 it being onlynecessary that the movement be suiiicient to properly separate the contacts.

In actual practice 'I have found an angular` movement of 60 to' be satisfactory and hence when .the contacts are separated the operating arm stands at an angle of 30 to the vertical either uponv one side' or thef i other. This is the arrangement I'have illuswholly uponthe right-hand side or the left'- I hand side of the iron I Ipeculiarly adapt the sameto' the use of either a vright-handed; or

` left-handed person, it heilig obvious that a hand from the iron for quickly controlling'I the supplv of energy.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon, of a member carrying contact terminalshaving lirictional engagement with a part of the said flat-iron so that the member is freely detachable therefrom, said member being movable on said flat-iron to bring the respective terminals into and out of engagement, and means whereby said movement linto and out of engagement is made with a snap action.

2. The combinationwit'h an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon and a supporting pivot associated therewith,` of a member carrying contact terminals and adapted to removably engage said pivot and oscillate thereon to bring the respective terminals into and out of engagement, and means whereby said oscillation into and out of engagement is made with a snap action.

3. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon, of a member having frictional engagement with al part if the said {iat-iron so that the member freely detachable therefrom, terminals carried by said member, said member being movable on the iron in more than one direction to bring the respective terminals into and out of engagement.

4. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon and a supporting pivot associated therewith, of a member carrying contact terminals and frictionally held in engagement with said pivot and adapted to oscillate in either of twol directions 'thereon to bring the terminals into and vout of engagement.

5. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon, of a member detachably engaging said flat-iron, terminals carried by said member, said member being movable in either of two directions on said {iat-iron to bring the respective terminals into and out of engagement, and means whereby said movement into and out of engagement is produced with a snap action.

6. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon and a horizontally disposed pivot associated therewith, of a member carrying contact ter.- minals and frictionally held in engagement 'with said pivot whereby said member isfreely detachable from the pivot, said member being adapted to oscillate on the pivot to bring the respective terminals into and out of. engagement.

7. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon and av horizontally disposed pivot associated therewith, of a member carrying contact terminals and adapted to removably engage said pivot and oscillate thereon to bring the terminals into and ont of engagevment, and means whereby said engagement and disengagement is made with a. snap action.

8. The combination with an electric fiatiron having contact terminals thereon and a horizontally disposed pivot associated therewith, of a member carrying contact terminals and frictionally held in engagement with said pivot whereby said member is freely detachable from the pivot, said member' being adapted to oscillate in either of two directions on said pivot to bringthe respective terminals into and out of engagement.

9The combinationwith an electric flatiron having contactterminals thereon and a horizontally disposed pivot associated therewith, of a member frictionally held in engagement on said pivot whereby the member is freely detachable therefrom, said member being adapted to oscillate in a vertical plane, and contact terminals carried by said member.

10. The combination with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon and a horizontally disposed pivot associated therewith, 0f a member frictionally held in engagement on said pivot whereby the member is freely detachable therefrom, said member being adapted to oscillate in a. vertical plane, contacts carried by said member, and a projecting handle for oscillating said member.

. 11` The combination with an electric fiatiron having contact terminals thereon and a horizontally disposed pivot-associated therewith, of a member mounted on said pivot to oscillate in a vertical plane, contact terminals carried by said member, a projecting lhandle for oscillating said member, and

means for causing said terminals to engage and disengage with a snap action.

12. The combina-tion with an electric flatiron having contact terminals thereon, of a member having an operating handle and "carrying contact terminals and adapted to pivotally enga-ge said iron with the handle upon either side of the vertical plane through the center of the iron and oscillatl able wholly upon such side to bring the terminals into and out of engagement.

13. The combination of an electric fiatiron having contact terminals thereon, a

Imember carrying terminals arranged to engage the first-'named terminals, said memn Witness whereof, I have hereunto set ber being frietionally vheld in engagement my hand this 19th day of June 1913.

a. part Of Said flat-iron' whereby the member may be freely detached therefrom, 5 and means for moving the terminals of said Witnesses:

member into and out of engagementv with M. J. REYNOLDS, the flat-iron terminals with a. snap action. H. B. DAVERIN 

